by Glenn Tepper, ITTF Deputy Chief Executive Officer – Development and Education
The ITTF Education and Training Programme, initiated in 2009 has also made a major contribution to worldwide table tennis development at the next level. It works hand in hand with the ITTF Development Programme, this year updating and improving the highly successful ITTF Hopes Programme, and network of ITTF Training Centres.
Also, it provides “With the Future in Mind Rio Scholarships”, ITTFEducation.com online learning, including “Spins and Skills” coaching films, coaching mentorship project and the newest addition to the ITTF Athlete Development Model, “Rough Diamonds” training camps.
When the ITTF Development Program began in 1999, one of the aims was to have table tennis played in every country of the world. ITTF membership was 180 at that time; today ITTF membership stands at 222, more than the International Olympic Committee and all other International Sports Federations. It makes the ITTF outright number one in terms of membership.
There are now only four countries with National Olympic Committees that are not ITTF members. We are very close to finalizing these last four and achieve our long held aim to be the first International Federation to have all countries as members.
2016 Highlights
……….The second “World Table Tennis Day” was held on Wednesday 6th April 6, 2016 as part of our Table Tennis for All Programme and was a huge success with over 196 events in 83 countries. Nepal was chosen to launch World Table Tennis Day due to the commencement of a joint United Nations and ITTF Para Table Tennis three year project in six centres across Nepal. World Table Tennis Day is now held annually to coincide with the United Nations and International Olympic Committee International Day on Sport for Development and Peace so please climb on board and support this important project in 2017 and every April 6th moving forward!
……….ITTF won a “Peace and Sport” Award for the second time, this time for the best peace project for the World Table Tennis Day. ITTF also won an award at the International Sport Movies and TV Awards (FICTS) for the third time, this time for the “Table Tennis for NepALL” ITTF and United Nations Para Table Tennis Project.
……….Every person that led one of the Development and Education Program Courses-Programs in 2016! Each was a highlight and each had its own great story. (Talk to one of the course conductors listed below; you will no doubt hear a fascinating story)
……….177 courses covering Coach Education, Training Camps, Para Table Tennis, Women in Sport, Umpires and Referees Courses, National, Continental and World Hopes Weeks and Rough Diamonds Camps
……….“Hopes” continued to evolve and grow in stature with four tiered National Hopes Week, Continental Hopes Weeks, World Hopes Week, Hopes Team, with the preceding serving as the qualification for the next stage
……….UNOSDP Camps (United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace) continue to include table tennis as a core sport showing the close co-operation and respect for table tennis within the United Nations
Team Effort
The success of the ITTF Development and Education Programmes is very much a team effort. Deepest thanks to those that contributed to the success including: ITTF President Thomas Weikert, for his strong commitment to development and education moving forward, commencing already in 2006 through the German Table Tennis Association, providing financial and technical support that has continued annually since 2006.
ITTF Executive Committee
The ITTF Executive Committee for their support and advice, and especially the Executive Vice Presidents responsible for Development, Melecio Rivera, Education and Training, Shi Zhihao, Women in Sport, Petra Sörling and Global Junior Program, Patrick Gillmann
ITTF Continental Vice Presidents
Khaled El Salhy (Africa), Cai Zhenhua (Asia), Ronald Kramer (Europe), Juan Vila (Latin America), Tony Kiesenhofer (North America), James Morris (Oceania) for their close co-operation and leadership.
Development, Education and Training Staff
One could not ask for more passionate and hard-working staff than:
Leandro Olvech, ITTF Director-Development
Polona Cehovin Susin ITTF Director Education and Training
Michael Brown, Dejan Papic and Ahmed Dawlatly for their contributions to Development and Education and Training; also to our newest team member Daniela Gomes who joined in October.
Continental Development Officers: Michael Brown (Africa), Afshin Badiee (Asia), Neven Cegnar (Europe), Ramon Ortega Montes (Latin America), Mireille Tallon (North America) and Michael Brown (Oceania) for their untiring efforts in implementing the Continental Development Plans.
The 90 ITTF Coaches and Course Conductors that conducted 177 ITTF Development and Education Programme or Olympic Solidarity Courses in 2016 (in alphabetical order)
To those that conducted courses, we salute you in this important work!
Freddy Almendariz (ECU), Ben Ahmed (TUN), Levente Aranyosi (HUN), Madelaine Armas (DOM), Rafael Armendariz (ECU], Mohamed Atoum (JOR], Afshin Badiee (IRI), Csilla Batorfi (HUN), Houshang Bohlouli (IRI), Danijel Borkovic (SLO), Tamara Boros (CRO), Michael Brown (AUS), Thierry Cabrera (BEL), Norman Carrillo (ECU), Neven Cegnar (CRO), Polona Cehovin (SLO), Makis Chamalidis (FRA), Christina Chee (MAS), Sylvain Chermette (FRA), Brett Clarke (AUS), Guillermo Coydan (CHI), Abilio Cruz (POR), Jhon Cruz (COL), Steve Dainton (AUS), Ahmed Dawlatly (EGY), Roger Dickson (USA), Vesna Drnovsek (SLO), Carlos Esnard (ESA), Michel Gadal (FRA), Alejandra Gabaglio (ARG), Silvia Garro (CRC), Cathy Gauthier (NCL), Mohamed Gharib (EGY), Stephen Gillespie (AUS), Carole Grundisch (FRA), Nicolas Guigon (FRA), Attila Halmai (HUN), Sarah Hanffou (FRA), Christian Holtz (AUS), Tokannata Ioatene (KIR), Hisham Ismail [EGY], Eva Jeler [GER], Anders Johansson [SWE], Peter Karlsson [SWE], Peter Kavanaugh (JAM), Ferenc Karsai (HUN), Arif Khan (PAK), Pablo Koatz (ARG), Miran Kondric (SLO), Istvan Korpa (GER), Samuel Lamont (JAM), Kaka Lawson (TOG), Frederick Lee (SIN), Mate Lelo (SLO), Cindy Leung (HKG), Li Xiaodong (CHN), Christian Lillieroos (USA), Ramzi Bel Haj Mabrouk (TUN), Jessica Macaskill (NZL), Richard McAfee (USA), Rami Miled (TUN), Ronald Mugwanya (UGA), Jamil Nasibi (IRI), Yousef Bin Naji (KUW), Parinya Nonsagate (THA), Marcos Nuñez (CHI), Leandro Olvech (ARG), Ramon Ortega (ESP), Martin Ostermann (LUX), Dejan Papic (CAN), Luisana Perez (VEN), Pablo Perez (ESP), Prabadeen Peter-Paul (CAN), Nicolas Petit (FRA), Matt Pound (AUS), Patrick Ringel (FRA), Cédric Rouleau (FRA), Francisco Seijas (VEN), Cyril Sen (MAS), Georg Silberschmidt (SUI), Maxime Surprenant (CAN), Joze Urh (SLO), Jose Urrutia (CHI), Ebrahim Vaghefi (IRI), Wajira Wickramasinghe (SRI), Grant Wilson (NZL), Lincon Yasuda (BRA), Aleksey Yefremov (BLR), Fariba Zadeh (IRI), Zhang Yining (CHN).
The Manufacturers and Supporters
Butterfly and Stag for their kind and unwavering support of the ITTF Development and Education Programmes since 1999.
Double Happiness, Nittaku, Xiom, Tibhar and Ipong for funding special projects for multiple years.
German Table Tennis Association for their ongoing equipment support since 2006.
Foundation for Global Sports Development for their ongoing support of the ITTF Development and Education since 2009
Olympic Solidarity and in particular Pere Miro, and Coaches Department, Yassine Yousfi, Carina Dragomir, and Cynthia Anami and Athletes Department- Edward Kensington, Silvia Lucciarini, and Olivier Niamkey and for their close co-operation and support.
ITTF Staff
ITTF staff members who worked closely and tirelessly with the ITTF Development and Education Programmes (alphabetically): Emese Barsai, Habiba Besic, Raul Calin, Steve Dainton, Joachim Davy, Mohamed El-Dawlatly, Vicky Eleftheriade, Etsuko Enami, Judit Farago, Leah Guo, Kimberley Koh, Ian Marshall, Matt Pound, Zena Sim, Claudia Vatheuer, and Caifeng Yang.
All of you have made a big contribution to the development and education of table tennis worldwide! Thank you!
Glenn Tepper ITTF Deputy Chief Executive Officer